Treating an unfortunate injury

I have always had weak ankles that tend to roll and I managed to roll both of mine a few weeks ago and fracture both fibulas. The orthopedic doctor says I’m going to heal just fine so this is a golden opportunity to explore period treatments! Guy de Chauliac (published 1363) gives this advice for fractured fibulae:

“The tibia may be fractured alone or with the fibula… When the fibula alone is fractured it can be displaced forward or inward… Both Albucasis and Halyabbas treated the fractures as they did fractures of the forearm bones, except that here they placed two splints between the bones, the full length of the leg, and they used a cradle.” p. 421

I went to the ER and they splinted both legs so step 1 accomplished.

“These medicines may be used as washes, plasters, or ointments. Avicenna explained their purposes; most important is the reduction of swelling and to relieve pain. Also, they may promote the union by toughening the callus, and they may comfort the limb… The medicines to reduce the swelling are refigerants and repercussives, such as egg white, rosat oil, and myrtle oil applied early in the course.

These toughen the callus and reduce its bulk, and support the fracture until the callus has fulfilled its purpose. The Simples are wheat-mill dust, wheaten flour, sangdragon, frankincense, mastic, sarcocolla, and egg whites.” p. 625

I have frankincense and mastic in the house, I chose to use mastic mixed in olive oil to massage the area. I will do so every day for a few days then report back.

Source: Guy, Rosenman, L. D., & Nicaise, E. (2007). The major surgery of Guy de Chauliac: Surgeon and master in medicine of the University of Montpelier: Written in 1363, here re-edited and collated from Latin and French editions and complemented with illustrations, supplemented with notes and an historical introduction about the Middle Ages and the life and the works of Guy de Chauliac. Xlibris Corporation.